LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS AND DON’T HELP MANAGERS

IF WEST HAM’S board wish to contemplate the harmful effects of feeding speculation about their manager, they need only look at the case of Craig Shakespeare. Leicester have four points this season, the same as West Ham. True, as mitigation, Leicester have had a difficult run of early fixtures — but equally West Ham began with three away games, including a visit to Old Trafford, as a result of conversion work on the London Stadium. Yet while Slaven Bilic (above) exists under a cloud of negative conjecture, there is no mention of trouble for Shakespeare. This despite West Ham not being a sacking club — and Leicester’s board being arguably the most unforgiving in the league. West Ham under David Sullivan and David Gold rarely fire the boss. They went down with Avram Grant in charge when even the most soft-hearted soul could see he was out of his depth. By contrast, Leicester dumped Claudio Ranieri roughly half a season after performing a miracle, the greatest title win in the history of English football. Not long previously, they had sacked Nigel Pearson, who had pulled off one of the greatest escapes from relegation. So Leicester’s board are merciless. Yet because they don’t talk about it, because they don’t let rumours run, or allow chatter and speculation to infest the conversation, Shakespeare sails on undoubted. Bilic, meanwhile, is permanently one defeat from the sack. There is a lesson here, if anyone at West Ham is interested in heeding it.